United States
                       Environmental Protection
                       Agency
Solid Waste .
and Emergency Response
(5306W)   ;
EPA530-F-00-013
June 2000
www. epa. gov/cpg
                       2000  Buy-Recycled  Series
                       Paper Products

                             ien years ago, very little recycled-content
                             printing and writing paper existed. Now,
                             it's readily available, along with recycled-
                       content newsprint, paper towels, and corrugated
                       packaging—and at higher quality and more
                       competitive prices than ever before. That's in
                       part due to government initiatives since 1988,
                       when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                       (EPA) issued the Procurement Guideline for Paper and Paper Products
                       Containing Recovered Materials. The 1988 paper guideline's buy-recycled
                       requirements are now part of EPA's Comprehensive Procurement
                       Guideline (CPG).
                          To make it easier to buy recycled, EPA updates the CPG every 2 years.
                       Through the CPG, EPA designates items that must contain recycled
                       content when purchased by federal, state, and local agencies, or by
                       government contractors, using appropriated federal funds. Among these
                       items, EPA has designated many paper products. EPA's research shows
                       that the items designated in the CPG are of high quality, widely available,
                       and cost competitive with virgin products. EPA also issues iionregulatory
                       companion guidance—the Recovered Materials Advisory Notice
                       (RMAN)—that recommends levels of recycled content for these items. In
                       May 1995 EPA published the Paper Products RMAN, and in June 1998
                       EPA updated the recommendations for paper products in the Paper
                       Products RMAN II, which incorporates all current requirements for
                       recycled-content papers.
                          Although federal agencies have made great strides in buying recycled-
                       content paper, more can be done. After all, paper is still the most
                       predominant material in our trash. So, the next time you stock up on
                       paper for your printer, copy machine,  cafeteria, or restrooms, buy
                       recycled. You'll help create a demand for the used office paper, old
                       newspapers, and boxes we recycle every day.

                        QyO Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
nonrecycled-content portion, however.

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Remember to
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   recycled-
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   papers in
 printing and
       	]
   janitorial
   contracts.
Paper Buying Tips
      To make it even easier to buy
      recycled-content paper products,
      EPA offers the following purchasing
tips for the various paper product
categories outlined in the RMAN.
Printing and writing papers comprise one
of the largest categories of paper and paper
products. Examples include stationery,
computer printout paper, note pads, copier
paper, and offset paper. Printing and
writing papers can be uncoated or coated.
   When buying printing and writing
paper, remember to:
•  Work with your printer. Different papers
   exhibit differences in performance and
   printability. Some printers might first
   want to test certain papers with a
   particular ink. Printers also, can help you
   select papers based on how; they will be
   used (i.e., whether they will be folded,
   die-cut, or made into self-mailers).
 •  Work with your graphic designer. Some
   papers are better than others for certain
   design needs. Make sure bpth the
   designer and printer agree that the paper
   you choose will meet your expectations.
 •  Consider the environmental
   ramifications of your purchasing
   decisions. Papers with certain
   characteristics, such as deep colors,
   coatings, or groundwood content, might
   not be recyclable in your existing office
   paper recycling program or might
   require changes to the program.
   Consider the effects of your paper
   purchases before deciding to purchase a
   specific paper.
Newsprint is a type of groundwood paper
generally used to print newspapers.
Recycled-content newsprint is usually
manufactured from fiber recovered from old
newspapers and magazines. The federal
government ,uses newsprint for printing the
Federal Register, Congressional Record, and
other publications.
   When purchasing newsprint, consider
these helpful hints:
• Pay attention to newsprint's basis
  weight. Basis weight is the weight in
  pounds of a ream of paper cut to a
  specified-size. Different weights hold up
  better in different presses. Recycle,d-
  content newsprint ranging from 25 to 32
  pounds generally performs well. The
  U.S. Government Printing Office
  specifies 28 pound recycled-content
  newsprint.
 • Consider your requirements  for the
  newsprint you're baying. Recycled-
 • content newsprint manufacturers .are
  making products that meet their clients'
	 performance requirements (e.g., print-
 l ability, brightness, cleanliness, and
  opacity).
 • Determine whether newsprint is
  recyclable in your existing recycling
   program.: Some office paper recycling
   programs do  not accept groundwood
   papers such as newsprint; find out
   whether yours does before you buy
   newsprint.

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Sanitary tissue products include
bathroom and facial tissue, paper towels,
napkins, and general-purpose industrial
wipers. When purchasing these products
remember these tips:
• Avoid misconceptions about softness,
  absorbency, and strength. Some
  recycled-content sanitary tissue
  products are softer, stronger, and more
  absorbent than others. Consider your
  aesthetic and functional requirements
  for tissue products before purchasing a
  specific product.
• Remember to review your janitorial
  supply contracts because commercial
  tissue products are  often purchased
  through contractors. Make sure your
  supply contracts specify recycled-
  content, not virgin, products.
• When changing brands, consider other
  factors that could influence your
  purchasing decision. When, switching
  from sheet to roll paper towels, for
  example, you might incur costs to
  replace dispensers or fixtures if such
  costs are not borne by the supplier.
Paperboard and packaging is a broad
category of paper products that includes
corrugated containers, folding cartons,
book and report covers, mailing tubes,
video cassette boxes, paper bags, and
wrapping paper. They can'be
manufactured with a wide variety of
recovered fibers including old
newspapers, old corrugated containers,
mixed papers, and sorted white office
paper. In fact, paperboard mills use more
recovered fiber than any other segment of
the paper industry.

   When purchasing recycled-content
paperboard and packaging; consider
these  tips:
• Remember, you can print on recycled
  boxes, not just on virgin, bleached boxes.
• Be aware that you can use recycled
  boxes in food applications and still
  meet Food and Drug Administration
  requirements.
   etermine
 Ketlier your

  Ifxisting

 Ifcycling
  TT''."^"7'
  program

   neludes
rewsprint and
 =?—  .. •.
 packaging.

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             Information Available from EPA

 " /   'iV  This fact sheet and the following publications on
             buying recycled-cpntent products are available or
             can be accessed in electronic format on the
             Internet at . Use Internet
             e-mail to order paper copies of documents.
Include the requestor's name and mailing address on all orders.
Address e-mail to: rcra-docket@epamail.epa.gov.

Paper copies also may be ordered by calling the RCRA Hotline.
Callers within the Washington Metropolitan Area must dial 703
412-9810 or TDD 703 412-3323 (hearing impaired). Long-
distance callers may call 800 424-9346 or TDD 800 553-7672.
The RCRA Hotline operates weekdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m.. e.s.t.
•0» ERA Expands Comprehensive Procurement Guideline
   (CPG) (EPA530-F-00-017). This fact sheet provides general
   information about the CPG and the development of
   affirmative procurement programs.
« Federal Register (FR) notices promulgating CPG I (60 FR
   21370/EPA530-Z-95-006) and RMAN I (60 FR 21386/EPA530-
   Z-95-007), May 1,1995, and the Paper Products RMAN (60
   FR 2698&'EPAS30-Z-96-005), May 29, 1996. FR notices
   promulgating CPG II (62 FR 60961/EPA530-Z-97-009) and
   RMAN II (62 FR 60975/EPA530-Z-97-010), November 13,
   1997. and the Paper Products RMAN II (63 FR 31214), June 8,
   1998, FR notices promulgating CPG  III (65 FR 3070) and
   RMAN III (65 FR 3082), January 19, 2000.
<• A Study of State and Local Government Procurement
   Practices that Consider Environmental Performance of
   Goods and Services (EPA742-R-96-007). This report
   provides Important program elements and case studies of
   state and county agencies purchasing environmentally
   Preferable products and services. For more information on
    PA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) program,
   contact the Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse at
   401  M Street, SW. (7409), Washington, DC 20460. Phone:
   202 260-1023. Fax: 202 260-4659. Visit the EPP Web site at
   .
  Mills, Converters, and Distributors of Printing and Writing
  Paper Containing Postconsumer Recovered Fiber
  (EPA530-R-99-006).
  M//s That Produce Newsprint Containing Postconsumer
  Recovered Paper (EPA530-B-99-013).
  Mills That Produce Tissue Products Containing Recovered
  Paper (EPA530-B-99-OT2).


               Other Sources of Information

               <• U.S. General Services Administration
               (GSA). GSA's Environmental Products Guide
               contains more than 1,500 paper and paper
               products containing recovered materials. For a
               copy of the guide,  contact GSA, Centralized
  Mailing List Service (7CPNL), 401 West Felix Street, P.O.  Box
  6477, Fort Worth, TX 76115. Phone: 817 334-5215. Fax: 817
  334-5227.
* U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO provides a
  variety of recycled-cpntent printing papers to federal agencies.
  To view federal printing paper specifications see the GPO Web
  site at . For more information about papers available  from
  GPO, contact Doris Reynolds, Printing Specialist, U.S.;GPO,
  Paper and Materials Control Section, Stop POL, North Capitol
  and H Streets, NW., Washington, DC 20401. Phone: 202 512-
  0241.
* The Official Recycled Products Gu/cfaThis directory lists more
  than 5,000 manufacturers and distributors of recycled-content
  products. For more information, contact the Recycling Data
  Management Corp., P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY 13669.
  Phone: 800 267-0707.  ;
* Recycling at Work Campaign. The Recycling at Work
  Campaign has published several  guidebooks on setting up and
  promoting office buy-recycled and recycling programs. For
  more information, contact Geri Powell of the Recycling at Work
  Campaign, 1620 Eye Street, NW., Sixth Floor,  Washington, DC
  20006. Phone: 202 293-/330 Ext. 774. Fax: 202 429-0422.

     In addition, contact your state solid waste agency for
      information about local and regional businesses that
     produce or distribute recycled-content paper products.
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